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TRAINING PROGRAM
PLANNING GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRO
Why should I read the Complete Guide to PART THREE: LOGISTICS
Planning Your Training Program?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
PART ONE: STRATEGY Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
What are Your Training Program Objectives?. . 6 Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Focus on Business Impact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Instructor Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
PART TWO: THE BASICS Measurements and Reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Who Needs to be Trained? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Marketing Your Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Course Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Do You Need Outside Help?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How Soon Does Your Training Need
to Take Place?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Choosing a Training Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
INTRO
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PART ONE
STRATEGY
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STRATEGY
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STRATEGY
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PART TWO
THE BASICS
WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE
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BASICS
WHO
WHO
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BASICS
WHAT
CONTENT
COURSE CONTENT
The quality of the information that is delivered can make or break your training program. The right
content will not only provide information, but will also engage your learners to help ensure they retain
the knowledge you want them to learn.
The content you deliver as part of WHERE DOES YOUR Also consider adapting course In these cases, you may need to
your training program is perhaps CONTENT COME FROM? content that has been previously develop entirely new content. First,
one of the most important parts of used by your company. Even if it’s identify who will create this content.
the training. As such, you should Is there existing content for teaching outdated, it may be helpful as a Do you have the resources to
carefully consider your content as this material or do you need to starting point. develop content in-house or will you
part of your training plan. develop it? need to outsource this?
There will be instances where
Creating new content can be costly existing content will not work, such
IS CONTENT and time-consuming. Luckily, for as training on a unique or new
APPROPRIATE FOR THE many training topics it is possible product or for proprietary systems.
AUDIENCE? to find existing resources that can
Whether you are training internal or either be used out of the box or
external learners, be sure to consider adapted to meet your needs. For
the knowledge and skill level of your example, there is a wide variety of
learners including: soft skills, software and technical
training content that has already
• Education
been developed and is available for
• How much knowledge they have use either as stand-alone material or
on this topic as a complete course.
• How they will apply the content In some cases, you may not be
able to find content that exactly
This information will help you
meets your needs, but can serve as
determine what content and training
a starting point to adapt your own
modality are appropriate and will be
course material.
most effective for your learners.
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BASICS
WHEN
WHEN
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BASICS
WHERE
LOCATION
Choosing a venue and closely OPTIMUM LEARNING WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM HYBRID
attending to details such as course ENVIRONMENT
content, class size and environment TRAINING DELIVERY:
will help ensure a successful learning There are a number of considerations
Hybrid training is a delivery modality where remote students are
experience. to ensure that your training location
can provide an appropriate learning
added to classroom training.
Course Material: Does your course environment. Whether you plan to Utilizing advanced audio-video tools, remote students are
material dictate certain requirements hold the training in your own facility able to attend courses from their location, and receive the
for your training environment? or a third-party venue, you should same interaction and classroom experience as those who are
consider the following: physically in the class.
Number of Participants: Can your
learners be accomodated in one • Is the facility designed for This powerful modality enables you to train more participants
location? training? with fewer resources. You save on travel costs and other
expenses while still providing an exceptional learning experience.
Optimum Class Size: Even if you • Does the location provide a
can fit all of your participants in one distraction free environment?
location—should you? Be sure to For more information on how hybrid learning can
consider the optimum class size for • Does the facility provide a be incorporated into your training program, visit
the best learning experience. designated area for breaks? www.mclabs.com.
Location of Participants: Are your • Does the facility provide onsite
participants centrally located or tech support?
geographically dispersed? Do you
have the budget available for travel
• Does the facility provide catering
and snacks?
if you need to bring participants to
the training? • Is your facility equipped with the Pro-Tip: For the best learning experience, choose a facility that
technology you need for your
Available Space: Do you have is designed for training. This will help eliminate distractions and
training?
appropriate onsite facilities or will encourage knowledge retention.
you need to rent a training facility?
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PART THREE
LOGISTICS
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LOGISTICS
BUDGET
No plan would be complete without an accurate budget. Whether you provide a detailed cost analysis
or only provide a list of items billed to your department, be consistent and clear in your assumptions
One of the major questions to be well. Be sure to get a compprensive Indirect Costs
answered when completing your quote from the venue so you aren’t Staffing: Include salaries for Pro-Tip: Hidden costs can
training plan is “How much will this surprised by extras like internet instructors or training department break a budget without
program cost?” Seems like a simple service or setup. staff warning. Never assume
enough exercise, but there are a
Food: Whether you are providing Productivity: Determine loss of something is included until
number of considerations involved
breakfast, lunch or snacks for your productivity costs while participants you have it in writing.
before you start preparing a list of
attendees, be sure to include these are away at training
expenses.
in your overall costs.
DIRECT/INDIRECT IS YOUR TRAINING
Technology: Include any hardware or
COSTS software that needs to be purchased
PROGRAM A PROFIT
or rented. Also include any additional CENTER?
Does your budget only include the
charges for dedicated bandwidth or If your training program is a profit
costs of tangible invoicable items,
virtual training services. center, your will need to include
or do you include the full cost of the
program including indrect costs? Content: Any course content that anticipated income in your budget.
This may depend on your company’s you purchase would be a direct cost. You may also need to include
accounting system. You may also additional expenses for marketing
Printing: Include costs for the your training.
need to decide whether your budget
production and delivery of your
is an overall anticipated spend, or if
course materials.
it’s broken out as a per student cost.
Marketing Materials: Include costs for
Direct Costs
any materials or services needed to
Travel: Be sure to include
market your training
transportation, hotel, food and other
incidentals. Other Services: If you need to hire
additional staff such as instructors
Venue: If you need to rent space
or instructional designers, be sure to
for your training, include this as
include their fees.
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LOGISTICS
PART TWO
TECHNOLOGY
Whether you are conducting a technical training or a soft skills class, you will likely have technology
needs. If your needs are as simple as a projector or as complex as a full computer lab, be sure to
include them in your plan.
Documenting your technology • Will you need to have software
needs as part of your training plan or virtual machines installed? WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM A VIRTUAL
will make it easier to determine TRAINING LAB?
if you can rely on your facility to • Would your training benefit from
a Virtual Training Lab? Virtual Training Lab allows you to run complex labs and
provide and support the technology
(See sidebar) application training with the convenience of a cloud-based
for your training. You should
consider the following:
solution. Your learners are able to easily access labs from any
• Do you have remote learners computer with internet and a standard web browser—through a
• Does your training require that need to connect to the
secure URL.
specific software, operating training? (See page 11 for more
information on hybrid learning) Because the solution is cloud based, you save on IT
systems or other technology?
infrastructure and maintenance. There is no need to maintain
• Will you need computers or is • Does your training require costly computer labs, install software on individual machines,
this a BYOD (Bring Your Own significant bandwidth? ship servers and equipment, or worry about the capabilities of
Device) event?
• Does the facility offer technical
learners’ computers.
• Do you have specific computer and event support? For more information on how Virtual Training Labs
hardware requirements? can be incorporated into your training program,
visit www.mclabs.com.
• Does the training facility provide
computers or do you need to
source them?
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LOGISTICS
SCHEDULING
SCHEDULING
The complexity of course scheduling can vary depending on a number of factors. Creating an optimal
training schedule that fits everyone’s agenda requires careful attention to detail.
You want to organize training • Time needed to complete out-of- • Keep track of registration
sessions in order to maximize class exercises confirmations, reminder emails,
attendance while also using and important data.
• Competing activities
resources in the most effective way.
• Track costs, forecast budgets
When mapping out the times and TECHNOLOGY and monitor profitability details
dates of your training program,
There are a number of tools you may for each session
consider the following:
use for your scheduling including on-
• When training needs to line registrations sytems and training
be completed (if there is a resource management systems.
deadline)
Training resource management
• Number of learners systems can be especially beneficial
• Number of classes in developing and managing your
schedule—helping you control costs
• Location of learners and avoid mistakes and delays.
• Travel time Training resource management
• Instructor schedules systems make it possible to:
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LOGISTICS
INSTRUCTORS
INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES
Instructors are integral to a successful training program. Be sure to include details on
your instructor utilization and preparation in your training plan.
The value of training relies heavily on • Do you have in-house instructors • Assistance with course • Fresh approach: For internal
content and delivery. Finding quality or will you need to source materials: In many cases, training, an outside instructor
instructors to deliver your training is additional instructors? you can work with outside may be especially beneficial as
critical to your program’s success. instructors who may already they can be seen as the expert in
• Can you utilize a hybrid learning have their own curriculum and your material, versus a coworker
When looking for instructors keep in modality to increase your course materials. with preconceived expectations.
mind that a quality instructor is more instructor utilization? (see page
than just a subject matter expert. • Focus on core competencies:
11 for more information)
The most effective instructors are Outsourcing your instruction
also able to engage and motivate • Would you benefit from outside functions allows you to focus
participants. instructors? on core activities, freeing up
valuable time and resources.
When planning for instructors, INSTRUCTOR SOURCING
consider the following: In many cases, you may not have WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM MICROTEK’S
internal resources and will need to
• What is the optimal class size for
source additional instructors.
INSTRUCTOR SOURCING?
your training?
Rather than hiring additional staff, Whether you need just one instructor to supplement your team
• How many classes will you hold you may benefit from short term or hundreds to support a large-scale training rollout, MicroTek’s
and how many instructors will contracts with an outside instructor comprehensive database contains the names of thousands of
you need? sourcing company. Some of the qualified trainers who are experts on a wide range of technical
benefits include: platforms and business subjects.
• What is the anticipated workload
• Flexibility: Secure qualified
for instructors? (i.e. how many
training talent where and when
classes will they need to teach, For more information on how MicroTek’s
you need them.
when, how long, etc.) instructor sourcing can benefit your training
• Cost effective: Access to
program, visit www.mclabs.com.
• Will you need a train-the-trainer specialized trainers without a
program? long-term staffing commitment.
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LOGISTICS
RESULTS
It is important to prepare in advance Internal training programs will report • Revenue generated (if you
and include Key Performance on the impact that the training has charge for your training)
Indicators (KPI) in your initial plan. on both individual learners and the • What organizational benefits it
This ensures you have properly overall organization. Your report has yielded
mapped activities to program goals should include the effectiveness of
and objectives; identifies gaps and your training program in four key
deficiencies and provides valuable categories:
data regarding learning outcomes. • How well the training program
Your program plan should identify met the learner’s needs and
how you intend to evaluate your objectives
program. Possible tools include: • What knowledge and skills
• Post training testing/ learners have acquired
assessments • What desirable change it has
• Performance evaluations brought to learners’ performance
• What organizational benefits it
has yielded
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LOGISTICS
PART FOUR
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LOGISTICS
PART FOUR
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PART FOUR
WHAT’S NEXT?
As a single-source training outsourcing provider, MicroTek can help simplify
your training program—wherever you are in the planning process.
Visit www.mclabs.com to
learn more about all of our
services including:
• Training Logistics
• Training Rooms
• Virtual Solutions
• Instructor Sourcing
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